The event organiser for the Aotearoa New Zealand Ice Swimming Open Water Championships at St Bathans this past weekend is happy with the success of the event, despite one competitor being airlifted to hospital with water on her lungs.

The woman, who was competing in the mile swim on Monday (July 10), the final day of the event, was pulled out of the water by paramedics in a rescue boat after her stroke rate dropped noticeably.

“She was struggling,” event organiser Susan Sherwin said. 

“She got out of the water and started talking and seemed fine, then she deteriorated in the tent.”

The event had two doctors and two paramedics monitoring the swimmers and they decided to call the rescue helicopter immediately.

“We are very well looked after by very experienced people,” Susan said.

One competitor was airlifted to hospital after swallowing water but is now recovering at home. PHOTO: Birgit Krippner

“Swimming in under five degrees (Celsius) is dangerous - it is an extreme sport. People can have a heart attack, people can breathe in a little water - that is one of the signs of hypothermia. The longer you are in there, the less effective your muscles are.”

Susan is an ice swimmer herself, competing in what is known as the extreme ice mile this year. One mile is 1600 metres and anything over 2km is considered an extreme mile. 

“That last 400 metres, I could definitely feel the effects on my muscles,” she said.

Susan said competitors take part “partly because we can, partly because of the personal challenge”.

“About five years ago, because of Covid, we were forced to swim outside and it got us thinking about it, then we learned about ice swimming and thought, ‘Why not?’”

After the swimmer was airlifted, there were still another six swimmers to compete, Susan said. 

“We had stopped everything. We had a debrief and event officials and medics decided we were happy to continue, then we put it to the swimmers. They all said they felt safe to continue.”

The event will return to the Molyneux Aquatic Centre in Alexandra next year, as it alternates between pools and open water, and will be back at St Bathans in 2025.

“We all decided that St Bathans is such a magic place, we will be back in two years,” Susan said.

As always, the priority will be on swimmers’ safety, and she said New Zealand standards were above and beyond those required by the International Ice Swimming Association.

“My first priority is to have everyone go home alive,” Susan said. 

“We have a debrief every day - what can we improve, what can we do better.

“After being to the World Cup in France this year, our safety systems are well up there.”

The hospitalised swimmer plans to continue competing.

“She’s definitely keen,” Susan said.